He was mixing Muay Thai, Savate, Western Boxing, AND grappling/ground fighting (Wrestling, Sambo, Judo, etc.) before any Gracie came to the United States. And using it in self defense situations. Not just studying.

Everybody knows that he studied several different martial arts. That is completely and utterly irrelevant to the creation of UFC and the mainstream following that MMA holds today.

I can't make this any more simple to you retards. The Gracies helped set up the first UFC. The Gracies win the first UFC. Like Rorion said, "If it happens in America, everyone sees it". So thus the UFC was born and MMA slowly but surely became mainstream. It had absolutely nothing to do with an actor that studies, or more accurately, dabbled, in several martial arts.